Category: Top Ten of 2013 Candidate

Nick Capaldi and The Fadeout

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Nick Capaldi “The Golden Summer” EP
 A budding star is evidenced by Nick Capaldi’s The Golden Summer is a short EP with its glossy power pop. The opener “In My Shoes” is a catchy Tears For Fears styled pop hit that’s ready for radio, and “Dumb it All Up” another gem with its infectious beat has mellotron and horn flourishes. Next, “The Right Time” is an light airy ballad with swelling strings, reminding me of Seth Swirsky and closer “First of the Runaways” has a great Andrew Gold styled piano melody. Each song is a potential hit here, so you’ll want to check out his previous album,  A Shade of Orange with fresh ears. Easily one of the best EPs this year.

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The Fadeout “Shapes of Animals”
The Fadeout are a band from Montreal that specialize in sun-drenched melodies that take its cue from the Beach Boys playbook with a twee touch. Staring with the light “Wake Up (I’m Not There)” the band uses the same instrumentation and harmonies as the Wilson brothers or Phil Spector pioneered. Lead singer Sacha Philippe Hebert-Jodoin has a slightly fey, high-pitched vocal  (similar to a young Michael Quercio) that is very soothing.

Each song follows a consistent pattern with some nice compositions found in “Sinkin’ Ship” and the “Sloop John B” clone “Fantasy.” And therein lies the problem, as the band fails to move beyond their influences to keep things catchy or memorable. The group certainly has the skills and talent to pull it off, but they need better songwriting to move forward.

The Connection “Let It Rock”

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If there ever was a power pop band that oozed coolness out of its pores it would be The Connection. This new full length LP hits the ground running with the mint single “Wrong Side of 25,” chock full of classic guitar riffage. The band’s sound has continued to define the edge half way between The Beatles and The Stones. Its un-apologetically retro, and they relish every note.

Another “radio-ready” hit is “She’s A Keeper” with an unbeatable hook that rivals The Wonders “That Thing You Do.” It then shifts the key to a surf styled “The Way Love Should Be,” and then blasts those guitars on “Crawling From The Wreckage (Of A Saturday Night).” A country-styled shuffle leads “Susan” and the tempo slows down for the garage psyche “Haze” and “Not How It’s Gonna Be.”  Even the umpteenth version of “Johnny B. Good” sounds fresh as the title track. No filler here, and lead singer Brad Marino and guitarist Geoff Palmer hit it out of the park. It deserves a spot on your top ten for 2013, its definitely on mine.

CD Baby | Bandcamp

Lisa Mychols and Travel Lanes

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Lisa Mychols “Above, Beyond & in Between”
If power pop ever crowned a queen, my vote goes to Lisa Mychols.  Originally “discovered” by The Wondermints, Darian Sahanaja and Nick Walusko who helped release her debut in 1991. She has since been in several bands (The Waking Hours, The Masticators and Nushu) and was usually the best part of them, incorporating her love of 60s and 70s classic pop.

Her latest Above, Beyond & in Between continues the tradition of superb power pop with instrumentalist Tom Richards. The bouncy “Heart Beats In Stereo” is a confident song of girl power, with Tom’s terrific guitar solo in the break. “Taken” has a catchy melody that reminds me of ELO’s “Turn To Stone,” but Lisa really knows how to update the sound of those classic 1960s girl groups. “Make Believe,” and “Summertime Dream” both fall into that category. “Foolin’ The World” has an irresistible rockin’ beat, and “She Lied” is an atmospheric theme that wouldn’t sound out of place in a James Bond title sequence. Each tune resonates, fans of other female power pop artists (The Bangles, Kelly Jones, etc.) will want to get this one. Easily one of the best albums this year with “the melodies that kick your ass in stereo.”

CD Baby

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Travel Lanes “Hey, Hey, It’s Travel Lanes!” EP
This Philadephia band follows in the footsteps of Tom Petty and Elvis Costello, as evidenced by the energetic opening “Scared of Girls.” Led by Frank Brown (Flight of Mavis, Buzz Zeemer) he has a knack for melodic songcraft and intelligent songwriting. Even a deceptively simple tune like “Rainy Day” is compelling with its tropical rhythm. “Delinquent” is a very much in the Costello /Nick Lowe style and invites repeat listens. “Let You Down” adds a heavier Deep Purple-type of riff to close things out. Overall an excellent EP you need to hear.

CD Baby  | Itunes
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Glenn Case “Throw Money”

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Glenn Case is a great example of everything I love about home grown power pop. He’s an artist that just loves creating music, damn the popular trends. He’s been creating tunes for years, toiling away many years and after some Kickstarter funding, we have an albums worth of great songs.

Opening with the fast paced guitar and organ melody of “Bullseye Girl” is very reminiscent of Marc Bacino’s early work. “Glutton” and “OK Cupid” move in seamlessly, and both are deliciously catchy. “Georgia’s Hand” is similar to Toad The Wet Sprocket’s acoustic melodies, and the easy going “Think It Over” is another gem. In fact there are so many great melodies here its hard to single out just one, but “Pencil Me In” (with Craig Northey) is a brilliant one full of awesome hand claps and minor chords with a perfect lyric about insecurity and shyness. Then “Need Stilts” a duet with Rachael Layne gives us a shift in tone and tempo. Glenn also displays some slow slide guitar on “Sister” before the bouncy chorus chimes in.

Each tune stands on its own, with hooks aplenty and it doesn’t lose steam through it’s full length. If you’re gonna “throw money” at a musician, Glenn is one who earns every penny. And it earns a 2013 top ten nomination as well.

Amazon | CD Baby

Lyn Saga and The Real Numbers

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Lyn Saga “Venice”
Recently I got a huge pile of new music from female power pop artists, Lyn Saga being the first. The melodic pop and percussive “The Day We Met” starts us off and charms with its multi-tracked vocal chorus. She is an accomplished guitarist too, as her solid guitar riffs lead the way on “I Believe” and “I Didn’t Mean To.”

Her clear vocals play both the pop princess and bad-girl rocker. “Life Is But A Dream” is a Weezer-styled tune and it impressed me the most with its loud riffs and hook filled chorus. “The Only One” brings back memories of Liz Phair with its slow, sparse opening turning into a hand clapping rocker. A touch of Shangri-Las nostalgia guides “Stay,” its also super catchy and invites repeat listens. Its hard to find anything here that’s even mediocre, but its short a real ballad to break up things. The title track is another feel good tale about leaving the 9 to 5 and heading for the California Beach. Exceptional power pop that deserves a spot on my top ten for 2013 list.

CD Baby | Amazon
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The Real Numbers “1-2-3-4-5” EP
San Francisco musicians, Dave Ambrose and Lawrence Grodeska share a love of melody and guitar hooks, so it didn’t take too long to follow up their debut,  and this one is lots of fun. The title track sets the mood, and its catchy sing-by-the-numbers chorus will appeal to the inner kid in you. “Godzilla Girl” is another standout track with a driving bass line thanks to Chuck Lindo, a harmony laden chorus, and the added sound effects are bonus. “Daphne” is a jazzy pop departure, a sad song that’s sung with earnest optimism. “The Wiggle” is an ode to a favorite bike route to Golden Gate Park, but it’s cheery approach is like “The Wiggles,” so your kids will enjoy it too. No real filler here, overall a well-crafted slice of power pop – so pick it up!